The Swedish Royal Court has released a new photo of Princess Estelle to mark St. Lucia’s Day. The caption read: "Happy Lucia from Haga!" Princess Estelle was photographed by Crown Princess Victoria early on the morning of December 13. St. Lucia’s Day, also known as the Festival of Lights, is one of the most cherished pre-Christmas traditions in Sweden.
It is one of the most cherished pre- Christmas traditions in Norway as well.
ReplyDeleteA sharp contrast between all the long hours of darkness and freezing cold outside and the festival of lights.
Really impressive to see.
Pss Estelle looks fabulous.
P. the original. Wonderful comment, agree with you. Its interesting to read your comment, the shorter daylight hours and freezing cold weather. Currently we are going through a horrible heatwave! How I would love some snow!
DeletePss Estelle, does indeed look wonderful.
Lovely to see you posting, hope you and yours's are well and happy. Hugs
Oh, hello Ava!
DeleteHow nice to read your reply and thank you so much!
Yes, me & family are doing well.
Sorry to hear about the heatwave in your country, yes, that's exactly what affected most of Europe throughout the past summer months.
I know what you mean.
Re: Norway in December and January
There is the so called " Polar night" in the country, a phenomenon causing just about 4 daylight hours per day.
It's hard to explain as daylight could be a sort of roundabout way of saying " something a bit clearer than night".
It is very interesting to know about the Lucia traditions in the nordic countries, I mean its origins.
It might seem a bit crazy but in Norway people know how to cope with extreme weather conditions.
They are gradually exposed to freezing cold since their tender years otherwise life could be really tough for them.
On the contrary, houses and public places are well heated.
Another example: you can see even bikes provided with particular lights to signal their presence around.
Lucia light festivals were meant to inspire hope and pray for the light to come up as many people died from such bad weather conditions in the past.
Anyway , it's marvellous to see summer months approaching and better weather conditions last roughly from May to October at best.
Afterwards some roads connecting northermost towns are closed and towns get empty as people try to move to southern Norway till summer comes again.
Hugs for you👋
P. the original. 'Polar night' this is so interesting. I have never heard of it, so interesting to me. Especially coming from a hot climate. You have given a lot of information, thank you. I am going to have to google as well! I cannot imagine the coldness. Here currently we struggle with high daytime temperatures, humidity and nighttime/early morning it stays mild we are not getting the cooling off as much, struggling to deal! LOL! take good care. Hugs
DeleteHello, @ Ava,
Deleteyou know, I summed up what Polar night consists of, actually.
As I said , it's hard to explain such a spectacular phenomenon.
It much depends on the areas of Norway where you can observe it.
It is much more evident in the northermost regions/ cities in Norway, i.e.Tromso.
Tourists go there on purpose to see this natural " realm of wonders" , as I call it.
If you have to work on planes , it's quite different though!
Hugs for you and thank you for all your beautiful replies to my comments👋
P. the original. Thank you for your reply. It sounds beautiful, what a sight to see! Thanks so much for the information. I hope you have a lovely and safe Christmas. Aw your welcome, its always a delight to hear from you. Take good care. Hugs
DeleteHappy Lucia to you too! Wishing you a wonderful celebration filled with light and joy!
ReplyDeleteA very heartwarming tradition!
ReplyDeleteShe is growing into a beauty!
ReplyDeletePrincess Estelle is beautiful .
ReplyDeleteIsn’t she pretty!
ReplyDeleteShe is so grown up - please stop, I remember this celebration when she was so tiny. LRB
ReplyDeleteWhy does the swedes celebrate an italian saint?
ReplyDeleteWhy not? Most Christian religions celebrate saints from different countries/ethnicities.
DeleteBecause Sweden was once a catholic country. This light feast has a pre christian origin but got it's name after the country was christened. I guess it made sense at the time to name it Lucia, after the Latin word Lux/Lucis meaning light.
Delete//Annika
St. Lucy may have been born in Syracuse, Sicilia but she is a global saint celebrated all over the world irrespective of where she was born, just as all saints are. The Nordic countries celebrate her for her works of charity to feed the hungry, and as the bringer of light on her feast day (Dec 13) which used to be the Winter Solstice according to ancient calendars.
Delete- Anon 9:13
@21:24
DeleteYou can read all about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day
Swedes celebrate *Lucia* (or *St. Lucia's Day*) on December 13th to honor Saint Lucy, a Christian martyr who is associated with light. The tradition, though rooted in Christianity, has evolved into a major cultural celebration in Sweden, marking the beginning of the Christmas season.
DeleteThe holiday celebrates the themes of light and hope during the dark Swedish winter. Saint Lucy, whose feast day is on December 13th, is said to have brought food and aid to Christians hiding in the catacombs of Rome, using a candle-lit wreath to light her way and keep her hands free to carry supplies. This image of light is central to the modern Swedish celebration.
In Sweden, the celebration typically features a procession of young girls dressed in white robes with red sashes and a crown of candles on their heads (representing Lucia). The Lucia procession is accompanied by singing traditional carols, including *"Sankta Lucia,"* a song that describes her bringing light into the darkness.
The day is also marked by the baking and sharing of *lussekatter* (saffransbullar), sweet, saffron-flavored buns shaped like the letter "S" or in other festive shapes. The overall atmosphere emphasizes warmth, community, and the triumph of light over darkness.
Although Saint Lucy is originally from Sicily, the Swedish version of the Lucia celebration blends Christian traditions with older Nordic customs related to the winter solstice, where light played a crucial symbolic role in fighting the long, cold nights.
Generally speaking, there is no such thing as an "Italian Saint". They are celebrated more or less globally, at least where Christianity is concerned. Up until the religious reformation, the saints acknowledged basically all originated in Catholicism. After the reformation, some saints made it into Protestant religions, like Saint Martin (Nov 11), Santa Barbara (Dec 4), Saint Nicholas (Dec 6), Saint Sylvester (Dec 31), or - in this particular case - Santa Lucia (Dec 13), just to name a few. Their feast days/days of their patronages are celebrated accordingly.
DeleteWhat a marvelous tradition, she looks exceptionally lovely, so grown up.
ReplyDeleteC'est la première fois que je remarque que la forme de ses yeux est identique à sa cousine Leonore. Paloma
ReplyDeletePrincess Estelle will be soon another beautiful princess to add at the number of young European royals.
ReplyDeleteEstelle looks so beautiful here and I love how she's photographed continuing the wonderful traditions of the day. Happy St. Lucia Day!
ReplyDeleteJanet
Ich kann mich noch gut an Prinzessin Victoria als Santa Lucia erinnern. Wie schnell doch die Zeit vergeht.
ReplyDeleteBien belle Estelle que j'aime bien voir sur cette photo !
ReplyDeleteIn Spain Santa Lucía is the Patrón Saint of blind people.
ReplyDeleteA great look for Estelle.
ReplyDeletecss
Pretty Princess.
ReplyDeletePost a Comment
(We will not publish anonymous comments that were posted without stating a name or nickname)